Unlocking the next source of US energy security
ARPA-E Director Conner Prochaska writes about the need for fusion and the work the agency is doing to accelerate deployment.
ARPA-E Director Conner Prochaska writes about the need for fusion and the work the agency is doing to accelerate deployment.
Realta Fusion says that Madison, Wisconsin is among the final two sites for the company’s new fusion research and development facility.
Fusion companies Type One Energy and Tokamak team with US construction engineering firm AECOM to establish the UK Infinity Fusion Consortium, planning to build the UK’s first commercial fusion plant.
Fusion developer nT-Tao is working with Israel’s national water company to provide power for infrastructure.
Dozens of fusion industry leaders sent a letter addressed to leaders of the European Commission, calling for a long-term fusion plan that will ensure the region leads in the industry.
China’s new 5-Year Plan accelerates fusion towards industrialization, labelling the technology as one of the country’s future frontiers.
US ITER has completed the delivery for the central solenoid magnet at ITER in Cadarache, France
Helical Fusion announces the company has raised 2.7 billion yen for its final demonstration device, set to demonstrate first plasma in 2030.
Commonwealth Fusion Systems becomes the first fusion energy company to apply to join a major power grid operator.
The international race to fusion commercialization is accelerating worldwide with funding and tech development advancing.
Magnetic confinement: Plasma is heated to 100 million °C or more, then squeezed and held in place by strong magnetic fields, allowing many fusion reactions to occur. (Example: tokamaks, stellarators)
Inertial confinement: Tiny fuel pellets are struck by powerful lasers. The outer layer explodes outward, compressing the core to fusion conditions for a few nanoseconds, producing a brief but intense pulse of energy from each pellet. (Example: National Ignition Facility)
Hybrid systems: Combine compression (e.g., from lasers, plasma pistons, or mechanical impact) with moderate magnetic fields to reduce energy losses and improve confinement.
Electrostatic fusion: Uses high electric potentials to accelerate ions toward a central reaction zone, causing them to collide at high energies and fuse. The ions are guided and confined by electric fields rather than magnets, creating a compact environment for fusion reactions.